Book 1: Years Passed
by Fantasy Kadence
Summary: Serena Roki is a Fire Nation girl that, from her childhood, has always had an endless love and admiration for Prince Zuko. Years after his banishment, Serena finds she has new powers and decides to travel the world to master her elements and search for the Avatar and Zuko. No easy task, she acquires many friends along the way. Here is her story. (Rated T for suggestive material.)
1. Ch 1: Serena

Disclaimer: I've taken from the original ATLA transcripts. I don't own those pieces!

**Book 1: Years Passed**

**Ch 1: Serena**

"Serena, wait!" I heard Zuko yell after me.

"Come on, slow poke! We're going to miss it!" Tonight was the night of our nation's annual Fire Falling festival. Our whole town gathered for a huge feast with Flaming Fire Flakes, Komodo Sausage, and my favorite, Superspicy Soufflé. There would be games and contests until the moon was highest in the sky. Then the stars would start to dance, falling and twirling in every direction. I wouldn't miss it, not even to wait for my sloth bear-like best friend.

I stopped at the top of a hill to look down at the lights of the festival, and perhaps to let Zuko catch up to me. He stumbled up gasping and trying to catch his breath.

"Do we have to run? It's not like it's going to start for another hour," he complained.

I looked up at the moon then over at my friend. "You want to get some Pink Berry Tart, don't you?"

His face scrunched in thought. "With Watermelon Juice?"

I grabbed his hand and started racing down the hill, both of us laughing the whole way.

…

After an hour of playing games and eating to our hearts desire, the stars were about to start.

"Come on, my family is waiting for us," I told Zuko. We watched with them every year.

He was about to answer when his father appeared. "Zuko, why don't you come watch with me and your mother." He stood over us with a grin that made me shiver.

Zuko looked at me then back at his father. "Will Azula be there?" Neither Zuko nor I liked his sister very much. She was mean, and always played bad tricks on Zuko. It wasn't fair that she was his father's favorite.

"Of course, she's your sister. Now come on." Firelord Ozai's voice was much more harsh and demanding. Zuko knew not to make him angry, so he obeyed his father.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Serena." He waved as he was lead away.

"Bye, Zuko."

Tears started to fill my eyes. I turned to my mom who's face was sympathetic and arms were held open. I fell into her hug and wiped my tears on her shirt.

"Mommy, why is Firelord Ozai so mean to Zuko?"

She pulled me back and looked at me in the face. "Serena, don't ever say that. Firelord Ozai is very good to his family and his nation. I know you don't understand sometimes, but tonight is a very special night for Zuko. Firelord Ozai is going to let Zuko sit in on a war meeting tomorrow."

My eyes lit up and I became very excited for my best friend. I knew he always wanted to be in a meeting with his father. He dreamed of it for years. I wiped my tears away and said, "Then after I can see him?"

My mother laughed. "Yes, of course, Serena. You two play every day, don't you?"

I smiled and hugged my mom. The stars that night seemed to dance and shine brighter than ever. I only wished I could have been watching it with Zuko.

…

The next morning I didn't get to see him. He had spent all morning preparing for the war meeting with his father. I understood, but was a little sad. I ate breakfast alone and spent the day in the market with my mother. We bought several breads, little jars of tea-including Zuko's favorite-and Mochi for a little treat on our way back home. I asked my mother if I could go to the palace to see Zuko after his meeting and, with a little persuasion, she agreed. I entered the palace and knew exactly where to go for the meeting. Down a few halls and through a large door, then through another smaller door. When I reached the large doors there were two men standing guard.

"What do you think you're doing, little girl?" One of them said in a husky voice.

"I'm going to wait in there for Zuko. He's my best friend."

"Sorry, but no one is getting through here," the other said.

"Look, if Zuko finds out why I couldn't be there after his very first war meeting," I emphasized 'very first', "he's going to be really mad, and when he's Firelord, you two will be the first to go." My hands were on my hips and my eyes squinted into a tiny glare.

The first guard was holding back a laugh while the other said, "You've got guts little girl. Go ahead on in."

I strolled through those doors like I owned the place. There was a couch on the side wall where I waited, fiddling my thumbs, until I heard the door open. When Zuko and a tall old man walked through the door my smile faded. Zuko was crying and being drug through the doors.

"No, I'm sorry! I take it back!" he was yelling. When he saw me he started to panic and pull away from the guard. "Serena!"

I couldn't just sit there while they were hurting my best friend. I didn't know what he did, but I didn't care. I got up and ran toward the guard. "Let him go!" I yelled. In one swift move of my arm, a stream of bright fire shot toward the guards shoulder. He momentarily let go of Zuko, giving Zuko enough time to run in the direction of the door. He turned back and looked at me.

"Go, Zuko! Get out of here!" I was more concerned about him than my own safety. The guard, and two other men rushed to me. Suddenly a sharp pain came across my face and rattled my whole head. I hit the ground hard. The last thing I remember seeing was Zuko being taken away, then I blacked out.

…

First there was the sharp pain in my head. I opened my eyes and everything was fuzzy.

"Serena!" I heard my mother's worried voice. I felt her scoop me up in her arms and cradle my head with her hand. I snuggled closer into her warmth. My vision was slowly coming back.

"Mommy." My voice was weaker than I thought it would be.

She started to sob. "Serena, are you okay, sweetie? What were you doing outside the war meeting?" She pulled me back to look at me. The right side of my face felt swollen.

"I was waiting for Zuko. Where is he?"

She dropped her eyes. "I don't think you and Zuko will be playing anymore, honey."

I didn't have time to process before I was crying. "Why not? Where is he? Is it my fault?" If our separation was my own doing, I wouldn't know how to live with myself.

"No, Serena. It's not your fault. Zuko just," she was struggling for words, "he did a very bad thing. You know when you do something that Daddy or I don't like, and we put you in time out?"

I nodded, sniffling.

"Or when sometimes we even take things away from you? Like your toys, or when you aren't allowed to go outside for a few days?" she continued.

"Yes. Is Zuko in big trouble?" I could see the guard pulling him away, him reaching for me even though I was as helpless as him.

"I think Zuko is just grounded for a few days. I'm sure you'll be able to see him in a little while." I wanted to trust her, but there was something about the look she was giving me that made my stomach drop.

…

It only took a week for me to realize she had lied. Rumors were being spread around town about the banished prince. I tried imagining what it must have been like for him, facing his father. It hurt to think that my best friend was out there chasing some lost Avatar to regain his honor. It made me hate Firelord Ozai even more.

Years passed and I turned 16. I hadn't forgotten Zuko, but my hope for his return had dwindled to nothing. I celebrated his birthday, just a few weeks before mine, as if it were a funeral. I'd come to terms with the fact that I'd never see him again.

I'd changed a lot since that day. I grew taller, leaner, and my features had sharpened. I still had the customary black hair of a fire bender, but it was long and always pulled up in a straight ponytail. I had bangs that covered my forehead and tapered down at the frame of my face. My once cute little-girl curiosity and fiery attitude turned to silent anger and determination. I hardly talked with my family, especially with my father working as Firelord Ozai's general commander. Life went by in a blur.

I'd been doodling on my journal when class was dismissed. I gathered my things and headed out the door. Kids were already practicing fire bending, some picking on other kids, and the non-benders were huddled together glaring at the benders. In the courtyard I made a beeline for my favorite "study" spot. It was a tree Zuko and I had had picnics at with my parents when we were younger.

I shook the memory off. As I strode toward the tree I saw a little creature peaking behind it. When it saw me it hid its face.

"Hey, what are you doing here little guy?" I tried coaxing it out from the tree. It poked its head out farther this time to look at me.

It resembled a rabbit, but instead of floppy ears it had wings. I reached toward it, mesmerized, and it shot up into the air, only feet from my face. I startled back before looking at it again, this time with more curiosity.

"What are you?" I wondered aloud. I looked around but nobody seemed to be paying attention.

"A spirit." The voice was almost a whisper. My head whipped back to the creature.

"You're a spirit?" I asked.

It only nodded.

"Then how can I see you?" Humans couldn't see spirits unless they showed themselves. It seemed odd that I appeared to be the only one interested in this spirit.

"Follow me," it said.

My stomach felt uneasy, but I would do anything to get out of here. Not just away from school, but the Fire Nation. Everything here reminded me of Zuko, and it hurt.

I followed without question. There were trails behind the school that lead through the hills. I'd walked them several times, but the spirit lead me beyond the point where I'd been.

"Where are we going?" I asked the spirit.

"You will see," it replied. It continued to look forward then took a sudden left into the trees. I looked in with concern. Maybe the spirit was leading me into a trap, or maybe just playing a trick.

A soft wind picked up that blew my hair in the direction of the forest. It seemed to be whispering to me. I decided I didn't care if it was a trap or a trick, I knew my way back. But either way, I wasn't sure I would want to go back.

I stepped into the thick of the forest and found the spirit.

"Just a little further," it told me. It blinked its big eyes at me then continued on.

The trees were getting closer together and the weeds and plants harder to get through. I found myself burning some of the plants just to make a clear path to walk.

Suddenly the spirit stopped and turned to me. "This is where I leave you. Do not bend beyond the border of the forest." With that it disappeared, seemingly into thin air.

I squinted my eyes to see through the trees before deciding it was safe enough to step through, but it was no use. Hardly any light was escaping.

I took a step through the trees and gulped in a startled breath of air.

I stood on a cliff, with the ocean and sharp rocks lingering below. But I was hardly paying any attention to the rocks because floating in front of me was an enormous creature I'd heard of but never seen before. It was a lion turtle, just like the one's I'd read about in school. It's huge eyes seemed to see straight through me and into my soul.

My first reaction was to kneel before the lion turtle. It loomed over me with such power that I had no choice, my body and instinct had taken over.

"You have suffered, child," said a low, growling voice. It's lips hardly moved, but the sound was definitely coming from the lion turtle. I looked up at it, speechless.

"Why have you come?" It asked.

"I was lead here by a spirit," I said. The lion turtle asked as if I had been seeking it out.

"Your heart is longing for something. Tell me, what is it?" It didn't seem to blink as it stared at me.

"I want out of the Fire Nation, and I want to find someone that was lost to me, but I can't leave. The Fire Nation is hated, and the person I want to find would be near impossible to track down now. It would take more years than I have to find them." I wasn't sure how this lion turtle could help me, but it was worth a try.

"To fulfill your wishes safely, I will grant you the power of all four elements, asking only one thing in return."

I couldn't imagine I would have anything the lion turtle would want. "What is it?" I asked.

"Your mortality. You will roam the Earth forever."

My breath caught and my head started to spin. For years all I wanted was to get out of the Fire Nation, off of this world, and go to whatever comes next. Whether it be nothing or the spirit world. Any world where this pain didn't exist would be better.

I tried to think of how my sanity would stay in tact if I were to live forever, but I was coming up short with ideas.

"Living forever is a dangerous price only to search for your lost one," the lion turtle broke my trance. I hadn't even thought of spending an eternity searching for Zuko. He would die at some point, but I would have until then to find him.

And then what? He either wouldn't remember me, or he would have moved on with his life already. It was hard not to convince myself that I was chasing some lost dream, because I probably was.

But then, what else would I do with my life? Go back to being the obedient Fire Nation girl that sulks around and goes through life like a lonely, lifeless blob? If I had an escape route from this hell, this was it. I had to take this chance.

"I don't have any other choices," I said looking up at the lion turtle, standing taller than I had in years. I felt more confidently in this decision than I ever had in my life. "I accept your terms, and wish for the power of the four elements in trade for my mortality."

"As you wish." The lion turtle lifted it's enormous paw and touched two of it's claws to me—one square on my forehead and the other in the middle of my chest. I saw a bright flash of light then my vision blurred. I felt warm and chilled at the same time. I felt my body get heavier—stronger—as I took on the other three elements. My lungs filled with warm air then slowly escaped my lips, taking with it a part of me I didn't know existed until I was without it. The lion turtle took away from me all the years of my life that I would have lived mortal, and replaced it with this never-changing body and soul.

For the second time in my life, I blacked out, and the last thing I remember was the feeling of being scooped up and enveloped in a large hug.

…

"I think she's waking up!"

My head was throbbing and there was a high pitched ringing in my ears. I couldn't open my eyes yet, the light was so bright in the room I could sense it through my eyelids.

"Sit her up, she needs to eat something." There was another voice. That was two people.

I felt arms come under me and sit me up, then there was some shuffling and I was leaning back on something soft. Pillows, maybe?

"Go get some soup and tea, Runi. She'll need it." The same second voice. I heard little steps run out the room.

I tried opening my eyes, slowly, but it didn't help. I still couldn't see, there was a film of fog over my eyes. After a few blinks I could start to make out shapes. There looked to be a lady, hunched over and looking at me.

"Take it easy, dear, you don't want to come up too fast," the lady said. Her voice was hoarse and grainy.

She must be older, I thought. I tried to speak, but my words cut off and I started coughing. My throat felt like it was on fire.

The little steps came back into the room and I shifted my head to see who they belonged to. I could see the shape of a child, but couldn't tell what they were holding. They handed them to the old woman and sat on the end of the bed I was laying on.

My eye sight was coming back and their features were becoming more clear. I turned back to the old woman who was holding a bowl and a cup, full of the tea and soup I assumed. She gave me a spoonful of the soup and I nearly choked. It tasted like dirt and rotten vegetables. I didn't want to offend the old woman, but she had already seen my disgusted face.

Her expression of sympathy deepened as she said, "I'm sorry about the soup, it's all we have. The Fire Nation has raised our taxes, we have no money for anything else."

Her words hit like a punch in the stomach. I couldn't speak yet so I reached my hand out to hers to give her a reassuring squeeze. She understood and set the soup down with a smile.

"This, however, I know will be good. I grew all the herbs for it myself." She picked up the tea and handed it to me. I took it gladly and slowly sipped the hot liquid. It flowed down my throat and coated my tongue with the delicious taste of honey and jasmine. I smiled at the familiar taste and nodded a thank you to the old woman who smiled back.

"I'm Ila, by the way. And this little one," she motioned to the little girl at my feet, "is Runi. We found you lying on the side of the road in rags. Do you know how you got there?"

I shook my head. I didn't even know where 'there' was. I looked down and realized I was wearing a green oversized shirt and pants tied with twine to stay up.

What happened to my clothes? I wondered.

"Don't worry, Grandma said we can go shopping to get you some clothes!" Runi bounced on the bed excitedly.

I appreciated all they'd done for me, but I had no money and didn't want to accept any from strangers. "You don't have to," I managed to say in a croaky voice.

Ila grabbed my hand and smiled. "It's alright. It's the least I can do. I can't imagine what you must have gone through to end up here like this. Where do you live, darling? I'm sure your mother and father are worried about you."

My stomach dropped. In all my excitement I had forgotten about my family. Sure we didn't have the best relationship, but they were still my family, and they _would_ be worried about me.

I said the first thing that came to mind. "I travel by myself a lot."

"That seems like a dangerous lifestyle, especially in these parts with the Fire Nation watching every move we make around here."

There was the sting again. She must not have known that I was part of the Fire Nation. If she had, she would have left me on the street, or worse.

After finishing the tea my voice and eye sight were almost completely back, but I still felt different. Holding the cup of tea, it was almost like I could feel the liquid flowing back and forth, hitting the sides of the cup. It was a strange feeling.

I felt the need to get moving, but I wasn't sure where my body thought it needed to go. I had no responsibilities now. I could go where ever I wanted, see what ever I wanted. The only issue would be getting money and finding shelter to sleep some nights.

And there was the bending. I was really good at fire bending, top in my class. But trying to learn to bend the other elements on my own would be difficult. Especially air, what with all the Air Nomads being wiped out one hundred years ago.

But there was one…

And that one was exactly the person Zuko would be looking for.

So there was my mission. Achieving the impossible by finding the Avatar, and in turn finding Zuko.

…

Despite my protests, Ila and Runi took me to the market to buy some clothes that would fit me. I looked for the cheapest things I could find, which included a forest green shirt with matching pants and a cream tunic. For shoes I wore brown boots to match the tunic. When I looked in the mirror in the little clothes shop I would have sworn I was born in the Earth Kingdom. The only dead giveaway was my eyes, which glowed a bright topaz.

"You look really pretty," Runi said as she tugged on my sleeve to get my attention. We were waiting outside the shop for Ila to pay for the clothes.

"Thank you very much." I smiled down at her.

"What is your name, anyway?"

I thought a moment. Should I tell them my actual name? There couldn't be any harm in it. But then again, if they recognized my name as Fire Nation, I could get into a lot of trouble. I would have to go by a fake name here.

"Meng. My name is Meng," I said. Just then Ila came out of the shop.

"I like that name. Grandma, her name is Meng." Runi said excitedly as she grabbed her grandmother's hand.

"Oh that is a very nice name, dear." Ila smiled at me.

"Thank you very much. I'll find a way to repay you, I promise." I wouldn't let her do this for me without knowing I would find some way to make it up to them. It meant a lot to me that they would spend their money on me when they needed it more than I did.

"You don't need to dear, but if you must." We started heading back to their small house.

"So, I actually don't know exactly where we are," I said. If I could find some sense of direction I would know better where to start my journey.

"We're in Chin. Kyoshi Island is just southwest of here a little ways. Of course you would need a boat, though."

Chin. Kyoshi Island. My mind was spinning. The lion turtle must have taken me here. There was no other way I could have gotten here, unless I had mindlessly hitched a ride on a boat and ended up here. But even that didn't make sense because the Fire Nation had no reason to send a boat to the Earth Kingdom.

"I think I'll be leaving tomorrow." I had the sudden urge to go somewhere, anywhere, and start my training. Perhaps they would train me on Kyoshi Island. It was worth a shot.

"Why?" Runi looked at me with big sad eyes. I picked her up and hugged her.

"It was very nice to meet you, and I really appreciate everything you've done for me. But I have somewhere I need to go," I explained to her.

"I could go with you!"

Ila cleared her throat in warning to Runi.

"That would be very exciting, and I'll miss you a lot. But this is something I should do alone. I'll come back and visit, don't worry." We were approaching the house when I put her down. As she raced inside I stopped Ila. She looked at me with concern and confusion.

"What is it, dear?" She asked in her hoarse but gentle voice.

"Ila, when is the next boat to Kyoshi Island?"


	2. Ch 2: Kyoshi

Disclaimer: Not all of this is my original work. I've taken directly from ATLA for the dream sequences!

**Book 1: Years Passed**

**Ch 2: Kyoshi Island**

"I'll help you pack a bag. You'll need food, and a blanket." Ila was anxiously hurrying around the house gathering everything she thought I might need for my departure to Kyoshi Island.

"Ila, you've really done enough for me." I knew it was a lost battle from the start, but I was starting to feel bad about how much she was doing for me when I didn't have anything to offer in payment.

She already had a brown sack in her hand and was stuffing a thin blanket into it, along with some bread that looked fresh baked. I thought the bread must have been a rarity for them with how little money they had, but protesting was no use.

"I'm glad to be helping. And I couldn't send you off knowing you had no food or blankets to keep warm."

Little did she know I could keep myself warm using a fire-breath technique Zuko's uncle, Iroh, had taught me before their banishment. I missed the old man. He was very wise and cared a lot about me and Zuko. More than I could say about Zuko's father.

As Ila wrapped some berries into a cloth an aching thought occurred to me.

"Ila, why are you so willing to share your home and belongings with people when the Fire Nation has taken so much from you?"

She stopped and smiled at me, but her eyes were sad. "Because I'm not the only one that has had things taken from me," she said gently. She then finished packing the sack and tied it up to hand to me. I grabbed it and threw it over my back, careful not to squish the berries.

Ila stepped toward me ad hugged me tightly. I didn't want to let go, her embrace was so warming and loving. I wanted to stay and protect them against the Fire Nation army men that came through the town, but I knew I needed to learn how to control the elements. Something inside me kept telling me that this was only the beginning. Something bigger was coming and I needed to prepare for it, and the only way to do it was by going to Kyoshi Island.

When we finally let go Ila took a step back to examine me. She nodded in approval and led me to the door.

"Are you sure you don't want to say goodbye to Runi?" she asked.

"I think that will be hard for her." Both of us knew that I probably wouldn't be seeing them again. "Tell her I'll be back to visit some time. If she asks when…" I stopped and looked behind me out the door to the start of my journey. Images of my mother flashed in my head of the day of Zuko's banishment.

"No," I said. "Tell her the truth." I placed a hand on Ila's shoulder. "Thank you, so much."

She smiled and nodded again without saying a word.

I had to hurry if I wanted to make the boat to Kyoshi Island in time. I needed to make it to the coast by midday the next day and I was traveling by foot.

With one last look I headed out the door and started on the path southwest toward the coast.

…

The trail I walked didn't seem to change at all. At times I would stop and look back to see if I was making any progress. It started to get late and my stomach started to growl, making me realize how hungry I was. I stopped on the side of the trail and sat to eat half of the bread Ila had packed for me.

The bread was sweet and soft, as if it had just come out of the oven. I made a mental note to get the recipe if I ever happened across Ila and Runi again.

A tinge sadness swept through me thinking about them. I'd only spent not half a day with them and I would miss them terribly.

After finishing the half of bread I started walking again. The sun was setting in front of me, shining brightly over top the horizon of trees. The only sounds were the faint whispering of the wind through the trees and the soft pad of my feet on the ground.

Pat, pat, pat.

The sound almost vibrated from underneath my feet, up through my body, and to my ears. I stopped and looked down at the ground. It was a dark brown, little pebbles here and there. As the wind picked up a light layer of dust flew from around my feet.

The thought hadn't occurred to me to try bending earth until now, I'd been so preoccupied thinking of finding teachers.

I slapped my foot to the ground. Pat.

If I was going to bend it I would need to understand it first. I tried thinking of how I bended fire—swift, sharp, and almost graceful movements. But earth bending was entirely different. The ground was hard, and fire felt so light. I imagined it would be like bending thousands of compacted flames in one.

I stomped my foot again, this time with more force. I felt more vibrations under my foot travel up my body.

I remembered when I was younger I would make fun of earth bending because earth benders always looked so rough when bending. Their movements were very square, and their stance very wide. I pulled the image up in my mind and tried imitating the stance.

Feet wide, toes pointed out, shoulders square, chest out, and knees bent.

I took a deep breath and lifted my foot, then with more force than the times before, stomped my foot down.

A tiny crack appeared in the ground and a small section of the earth lifted to the height of my knees.

I stood staring at the newly placed piece of earth. When I woke up earlier that day in Ila and Runi's house, I almost didn't believe that I had seen the lion turtle at all. Now that the proof was right in front of me, I was so astonished I could hardly move.

Suddenly it all became a reality. I was going to Kyoshi Island where I would learn earth bending, the second of my elements—something that only the Avatar was known to be able to do. I wasn't sure if I was excited or frightened. The thought of controlling all the elements made me anxious. I wasn't sure if I should feel a responsibility to anyone or anything. And if the Avatar wasn't found, would I take on the role of keeping balance in the world? After all, no one had seen the Avatar in 100 years. As far as anyone knew, all the Air Nomads had been wiped out.

I shook my head. I couldn't think of that right now. I had to get to Kyoshi Island. I straightened up and started walking again, now with a quicker pace than before. I was thankful when I could no longer see the block of uprooted earth I had produced. I pushed the image to the back of my mind and focused my eyes forward until I would see water.

…

I spent the night in the cover of trees on the side of the road, hidden from any bandits or army men that might pass. I ate the rest of the bread and decided to keep the berries until morning, checking on them just to make sure they weren't too squished.

I sat at the bottom of a tree, leaning up against it for support while I slept. I was thankful for a clear night and a light wind.

I didn't realize how exhausted I would be until I woke up the next morning and couldn't remember falling asleep. I slept well, and felt more energized than the day before. I started walking again after pulling the berries out and eating them for a nice breakfast. They would tide me over until I got to Kyoshi Island.

When I reached the docks there was one ship some ways from shore and smaller boats carrying people to and from the ship. There were maybe 100 people waiting to board, some of them in what looked like a line, but it was too disorganized to really tell. There was shouting and kids crying in all directions as I pushed through the crowd of people to the line. It moved pretty fast while filling one boat, but it took awhile to switch boats.

Finally I got to the front of the line and was stopped by one of the crew.

"Where you headed?" he asked in a demanding voice.

"Kyoshi Island."

"What for?"

I wasn't sure why he needed to know the information, and I couldn't tell the truth. I thought up something quick. "I'm visiting my sister."

The crewman gave me a suspicious look. I didn't want to seem like I was lying, but I knew my eyes would give me away. I looked out to the boat, avoiding making eye contact. People behind me were huffing and tapping their foot in frustration.

"What's your name?" He had crossed his arms and was studying me closer now.

"Meng," I replied calmly.

A few more seconds passed and he stepped out of my way and nodded the okay for me to board. Once in the boat I sighed with relief. I was one of the last to get in so it was squished, but we started toward the ship relatively fast. On our way I looked down at the water.

It was strange, feeling so connected to these elements that, before, wouldn't have affected me. The water leapt at the side of the boat, seeming to reach for me. I held my arm out of the boat and down to the water, almost to the surface. I was just about to touch it when—

"Hey! Hands in the boat at all times," one of the crewmen scolded me.

"Sorry," I muttered under my breath. I continued to look at the water, but kept my hands to myself.

Finally we reached the boat. It was crowded and smelled of urine and mold, but it would get me to my destination, so I couldn't complain too much. I pushed passed tight groups of people to the front of the ship and found a place to sit against the railing wall until we reached Kyoshi Island.

…

After being let off the boat I wandered around the island in search of an inn that would let me stay one night, my payment being work. I had no luck. They all wanted money, which I didn't have. I could feel myself getting hungry again. The muscles in my stomach were tense and aching.

I was walking along the street when I looked up and saw the statue. It was Kyoshi, the Avatar which the Island was named after. She was beautifully painted with the Kyoshi Warrior traditional makeup and wore the long, draping green robes. Her fans were like an additional part of her arms. I looked up at her and bowed in respect to the past Avatar while hoping I would soon meet her reincarnation.

"She is beautiful, isn't she?" I heard a voice beside me. I looked over to see a Kyoshi Warrior dressed in the same robes and makeup as the statue. The only difference was her eyes, which were rounder than Kyoshi's. Even her hair was in the same short style.

I nodded and looked back at the past Avatar. "Very."

There was a moment of silence before she spoke again.

"She lead a very interesting life. Do you know much about her?"

Here was my chance. I had to get her to continue to talk to me. Once we got on friendly terms I could ask her and the other Kyoshi Warriors to train me.

"No, but I'd like to learn more. Could you tell me?" I answered. I tried to make my eyes seem sincere and genuine.

It seemed to work because her eyes lit up as she said, "Of course! Would you like to come to the training center? We can talk over some tea."

Just then my stomach let out a deafening growl demanding food. The Warrior and I laughed.

"I can make some sandwiches, too." She started walking toward a building just down the street and I followed her. "My name is Suki, by the way. I'm the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors."

I let out a silent sigh of relief. Maybe training here with the Kyoshi Warriors wouldn't be such a tough task after meeting the leader. Their traditions don't normally allow outsiders, but I was hoping if I could get on Suki's good side, they might make an exception.

"I'm Meng." I looked around as I spoke. "It's a very nice town here."

"Well protected, too. The Fire Nation has tried taking over the island, but our defenses outmatch them." Her voice was filled with a tremendous amount of pride. I admired her devotion to both the island and her warriors.

"The way of Kyoshi." It wasn't a question, but she answered me nonetheless.

"Taught to women long ago by Kyoshi herself." She smiled as she held a door open for me to a wide building made of wood and green roofing. I stepped in and Suki followed close after. There were about five other girls in the one-room building, all dressed in the same ornate outfit as the Avatar Kyoshi statue. When I walked in they straightened up from what looked like a fighting stance and stared at me. Suki appeared at my side and said to the girls, "Ladies, this is Meng. She's interested in the history of Kyoshi and the warriors."

There was a tinge of something in her voice that put me on edge. She was looking directly at the middle girl, closest to me, the whole time, neither of them blinking. It was then I realized I should have been more on guard. I knew the island wasn't prone to allowing random visitors, and yet I strolled right on up as if I were a resident.

It took a split second for Suki to grab both of my hands behind my back, trip one of my feet, and whirl me around, shoving me against the hard wall. The five other girls had formed a half circle around us and flourished their fans, holding them in front of them and toward me. I was silently cursing myself for not seeing the ambush coming.

"Who are you?" Suki demanded.

"My name is Meng, I'm from the Earth Kingdom," I said with my face uncomfortably squished.

She pulled me from the wall and pushed me into it again, harder this time so my head made a distinct smacking noise. "Tell the truth! You bowed to Kyoshi using a Fire Nation hand gesture. Who are you, and why have you come to Kyoshi Island?"

I closed my eyes, partially in defeat and partially from the sharp pain above my right eye. I hadn't even thought about my bow to Kyoshi. It was Fire Nation tradition to bow with a right hand fist and the left hand straight overtop the other. It was second nature to me, so I hadn't realized when I'd done it.

"Grab her!" Suki ordered to the other girls. They rushed onto me, grabbing at my arms and legs.

"No, please!" I started to plead, but they gaged me with a clothe and tied it around my head. All I could do was make groaning noises, words just wouldn't form. I started to panic when I realized where they were taking me. They had carried me out of the building and were heading in the direction of the water. I squirmed and wiggled as much as I could to get free, but their grips wouldn't budge.

"Come on, ladies! The Unagi will eat good tonight," Suki said. She wore a small, malicious grin that made my insides flop.

I started to panic thinking that I'd come all this way just to become fish food. I would never see my family again, nor would I see Zuko. The reason I had come here in the first place would have been a complete waste. Those were terms I was not going to accept.

The girl holding my left hand seemed to be faltering in her step as we neared the sea. We were feet from the water, so I needed to act fast. I relaxed a bit to let her adjust her grip, and as she did I wrenched my hand free. I reached to the ground and, praying my bending would work with little effort, grabbed at the earth below. My hand dug deep into the ground, then as I lifted it out a large chunk came with it, which I hurled directly at Suki. It hit her square in the back of her head, causing her to drop my leg and fall to the ground. The other girl holding my leg dropped me and went to Suki's aid, giving me the chance to whirl around on the other girl that was holding my right arm. As I turned my body on her I scooped my leg up from the ground toward her, bringing with it a large rock that knocked her in the chest. She flew back a few feet, landing on the ground hard. I backed up a few feet from the scene turned on them ready to fight again if I had to. I wasn't going to run away like a coward, I'd been taught better than that.

My breathing was hard and my arms were shaking from the sudden excitement. I looked down at my hand that I'd used to bend. To my surprise and enjoyment there were spots of dirt on my hand. I clenched my fists tighter, my stance getting stronger, and looked back at the Kyoshi Warriors. They were already standing up and glaring at me with their fans feathered toward me.

"I don't want to fight you," I said.

"How did you earth bend? We thought you were Fire Nation." Suki glowered at me as she cupped the back of her head.

"No, I'm from the Earth Kingdom." It wasn't a complete lie. With the power to bend all four elements, I saw myself as technically from all four nations.

"Then explain why you used a Fire Nation bow to Kyoshi."

I looked around, trying to think of a reason I could tell them. The truth was out of the question. 'Hey you know, I'm really from the Fire Nation, but I can bend all four elements so I'd like you to teach me. Oh by the way, I'm looking for the Avatar and Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. Think you can help me?'

Right, cause that would go over smoothly.

My first thought was of my parents when I said, "I grew up in the Earth Kingdom but I learned both customs. My mother fell in love with a Fire Nation navy captain."

"How do we know you're not lying?" The girls faces were accusing. They had loosened their stance a little, but they still needed convincing.

"Because my parents are the reason I left. My father anyway." It wasn't a complete lie. "I hate the Fire Nation as much as any of you." My jaw tightened as I spoke the last sentence.

Suki looked around at her other warriors. "We'll have to discuss it first. Come on, ladies." As they passed me to go toward the building they had taken me to earlier they each gave me a stern look. As the last girl passed me she turned around and stuck her tongue out at me. I glared at her in response. What are we, 12?

I walked some ways behind them and returned to the statue of Kyoshi. The sun was just setting, casting bright blends of orange and pink over the sky. One particular ray shot through the break of two trees and lit up Kyoshi's face. I smiled at the sight and walked to stand in front of her once more. I strange feeling of peace filled my body looking up at the past Avatar. I could feel my own energy circling through my veins, tingling at the tips of my feet and fingers. Something was pulling me down, there was an enormous weight on my shoulders and in my stomach that caused me to fold my legs over each other, sitting in the Lotus position. I placed my hands on my knees, took a long, deep breath and closed my eyes.

I sat there for what I thought to be hours, trying to focus all of my energy to the center of my body. I didn't move, felt like I couldn't. A strange wave of energy had started to pulse between me and the Avatar statue. It came in big rolls of heat. I'd never felt a more pure spiritual energy before. I could picture her in my mind, sitting on the ground in front of me, meditating. Neither of us spoke, but we had no need to. It was enough communication just to be in the presence of one another.

I didn't open my eyes again until I was pulled out of my trance by an abrupt shaking of my body. It stung to open my eyes, but felt refreshing to be present in reality again.

I looked up to see who had taken me out of my meditation. Suki and two other Kyoshi Warriors stood over me, looking neither thrilled to see me nor on edge like I would attack them.

"We've decided to train you," Suki said as she held a hand out to me.

I hesitated before taking it, then realized I wouldn't have enough strength returned to my legs to stand on my own.

"Thank you," I said with a smile. I stood up and shook the dirt off my pants.

Suki raised a hand to stop my celebrating. She looked up at Kyoshi then back at me. "If you betray us, even in the slightest way—"

"You don't have to worry," I cut her off. "I'm traveling alone, and I wouldn't be able to take all of you at once anyway."

"Alright, well your training starts now." Suki nodded to the other girls. I hadn't noticed the sack they'd been carrying until they pulled a long, elegant robe out of it. It looked so new, the green was bright and almost sparkled in the sun. Next they pulled out the armor I would wear over it—a chest plate and cuffs. I took them with great care and admiration.

This time Suki reached into the bag herself. I couldn't see what she pulled out until she turned to me and held out her hands.

"It's with great honor, and a lot of trust," she added, "that I bestow upon you the fans of the Kyoshi Warriors."

I took them with a great amount of pride. It was truly an honor to be a part of a group of talented warriors that are looked so highly upon.

Each of the girls bowed to me, Suki even giving me a small smile, then we headed back to the building.

With that my first task was done. I would soon be a Kyoshi Warrior, and my earth bending would be well on it's way to being mastered.

…

After my encounter with Suki, she brought me back to the village. As I had nowhere to stay, Suki offered to let me stay at her house. I thanked her, but she just blushed and muttered, "…it's just so I can keep an eye on you…"

That night, I sighed happily as I laid down on my bed. My plan was running smoothly, all of the pieces seemed to be falling into place. Satisfied with the events of the day I drifted into a deep sleep.

…

_I didn't remember waking up, was almost certain I hadn't, I only knew that I was floating, a purple haze crawling over my skin. A flash of light dazzled me and I blinked my eyes to find Kyoshi before me._

_She spoke, "So you have joined my warriors, and are looking to master earth." Her voice had an unearthly tone that I doubted she would have had in real life. "To find the Avatar, you must learn his story…"_

_She blurred out of existence, leaving the place to a whirlpool of light that grew closer and closer, until it engulfed me in a sea of light. It faded away, becoming a mountaintop building I somehow recognized as being an Air Temple._

_A young boy of about twelve was there. He had the tattoos of an airbending master, despite his young age, and seemed to be showing something to some other kids._

_He performed a complex move by spinning his hands in a circle, saying, "First you make the ball, then you get on quick!" As he said this he put the ball of air on the ground and jumped on, floating just above it. He used it to zoom around the temple courtyard, zipping up walls and upside down around archways._

_An older kid said, "Ok, here goes." He performed the movement himself, then jumped onto the ball but was unable to keep his balance and was spun off._

_The boy with tattoos, who had stopped to watch the teen's attempt, said, "You kinda have to balance on it like it's a top."_

_"Man! That's hard!" said the teen, rubbing his head._

_A younger child pulled on the master's robe and asked, "Where'd you learn that trick, Aang?"_

_Aang smiled and answered, "I made it up."_

_The kid shouted "Wooooooooow!" turning in place._

_"Aang! Come with us!" an elder called. He was followed by four other elders. "We need to speak with you."_

_Aang frowned, and followed them into the temple. As they disappeared through the archway everything faded to a bright white light._


	3. Ch 3: Beam of Light

Disclaimer: Not all of this is my original work. I've taken directly from ATLA for the dream sequences!

**Book 1: Years Passed**

**Ch 3: Beam of Light**

"Ugh!" For the fifth time today, Suki had me pinned to the ground. I was trying my hardest to dodge her and get an attack in, but she was fast. And I had to admit to myself that I was a little distracted.

The dream I had the night before was tugging at my brain. Who was that boy, Aang? I tried telling myself it was only a dream, but part of me knew that wasn't true. It had felt so real, like a memory.

Suki held out a hand to help me up as she said, "If you're not going to focus, what's the point in you training?"

"I am focused!" I protested, but she raised her eyebrow at me.

"If you were "focused" like you seem to think you are, you would have nailed this already." She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head to give me an accusing look.

She was right. Maybe a small break would do some good, then I could concentrate all my energy into training. I asked Suki, and she agreed to the idea. She brought me inside her house for some tea.

…

Some time later...

Once we were back outside my mind was clearer. I took a few deep breaths to centre myself before Suki, fans forward, charged towards me. She swung to the left and seeing the attack I hung right causing her to falter as she passed by me. During the millisecond it took her to spin back around I had swung my left foot up to contact her back. She started to fall forward and I spun right to trip her off her feet. She landed with a thud on the ground. I quickly flourished my fans and as she turned onto her back ready to pounce up to her feet I lunged to the ground with one of my fans edges just inches from her neck.

Something started to tick at the back of my brain as I pinned the warrior down to the ground. I had beaten her, and it was exciting. I had an immense feeling of power over her, and I wasn't sure if I should actually feel this way. I was surprised at how well I had controlled my body and just how much I could accomplish with it.

Images of a young Azula practicing her fighting and fire bending flashed through my head, causing me to drive the thoughts from my mind.

I stood up and looked down at Suki's astonishment with a grin. I held a hand out to her which she took, hesitantly, with a glare and stood. My smile faded to worry but quickly returned when she laughed and threw an arm around my neck.

"I think we're done for today," she said as we walked back to her house.

"Really? Are you sure you don't wanna go just one more time?" I laughed and nudged her side. She only rolled her eyes.

"Tomorrow the girls will be training with us."

This time when the smile left my face it didn't return. "Oh…" I watched the ground as we walked. "They don't like me very much. Which is understandable, I get it. I just wish they would warm up to me as fast as you have."

"I've had all day to get over my deep loathing for you." She said it so nonchalantly I almost believed her, but she giggled and continued, "It might take time, but they'll have to accept that you're one of us now. Once a Kyoshi Warrior, always a Kyoshi Warrior."

…

That night it was harder to sleep. I was happy to have finally found my groove for training, but I couldn't get the boy's face out of my mind.

…

_I opened my eyes, once again greeted by the purple haze that swirled around me. Kyoshi wasn't there, but the light appeared all the same. It grew, and engulfed me._

_This time I was standing in some sort of open-air council room. The five monks from before sat in front of me, a parasol providing shade._

_"How do you know it's me?" a voice asked from behind me. I turned to see Aang sitting there, facing the monks._

_The center monk spoke, "We have known you were the Avatar, for some time."_

_Huh? The Avatar? I stared at Aang, my mind spinning. He was the one I was looking for._

_The elder monk pulled out a bundle. "Do you remember these?" he asked, airbending it across to Aang. It landed in front of Aang, unrolling in front of him. I leaned forward, seeing four toys._

_Aang smiled. "Those were some of my favorite toys when I was little!" he said cheerfully. He picked up one of them, fiddling with it._

_"You chose them from over thousands of toys, Aang." The elder monk said solemnly. "The toys you picked were the four Avatar relics," he continued. "These items belonged to Avatars past, your own past lives."_

_Aang continued to smile. "I just chose them because they seemed fun." As he said this, he pulled the cord on the toy, sending a small piece spinning into the air._

_"You chose them because they seemed familiar" said the elder._

_A monk to the left said, "Normally we would have told you of your identity when you turned sixteen." His expression turned sombre, "But there are troubling signs." He looked up to the sky. "Storm clouds are gathering."_

_The center monk spoke again. "I fear that war may be upon us, young Avatar."_

_The monk on the left said, "We need you, Aang."_

_I looked back at Aang, who looked troubled. He bowed his head._

_Everything began to glow, to fade into whiteness, until there was nothing, but the white all around._

…

I woke up, my thoughts swirling like the winds of a hurricane. Now I was certain that these weren't just dreams. It shouldn't surprise me that I would have visions of the Avatar with everything else that was going on, and yet my head was pounding.

I couldn't let my dream visions get in the way of training today. I saw yesterday what I could accomplish with 100% of my concentration. I wouldn't let my thoughts wander.

…

The six Kyoshi Warriors surrounded me in a circle. I knew Suki would have a plan to get back at me for the day before. Today in my training I was focusing on deflecting attacks. One at a time the girls flung themselves at me, taking several approaches to pin me to the ground. One girl came from the side while the other girl scooped herself down to come at me from below. I curved and bent my body between the girls, spinning and leaping out of the way to deflect their blows. All the warriors had their fair chance at me and I went untouched for several minutes until the tallest of them snuck behind me midair and I flopped to the ground. My breathing was heavy and I was thankful for a tiny break in the action so I could slow my heart rate. The girls cheered and celebrated with the tallest girl at her victory over me as I got to my feet.

"That was good," Suki said. "You're learning fast."

I smiled and nodded to her in appreciation. "I'm surprising myself, even."

"You've got Fire Nation blood in you, fighting should come easy," one of the warriors snickered. Suki shot her a stern look.

"You're right. But can you blame me for a decision that wasn't mine?" I offered, a little snake-like. I needed to control my temper so I wasn't kicked out of the Kyoshi Warriors or fed to the Unagi.

The girl was about to speak when Suki stepped between us. "Enough."

I bowed my head and took a step back. The rest of the Kyoshi Warriors looked at me with questions in their eyes. They wanted to trust me because Suki did, but they didn't know how.

"We're done for the night," Suki said. She lead me to her house leaving the girls to themselves.

"I told you," I said when we were out of hearing range.

"They just need more convincing, is all. Don't worry about it too much. Give them another week."

Another week. It already felt like it had been a week in only two days. Time went by extremely slow since being given all the elements. It was hard to believe so much had happened since meeting the lion turtle.

…

Suki had asked me earlier in the day what my favorite food was. I had stuck to my answer of Superspicy Soufflé, as it has always been my favorite since I was a child. She had gone to the market and picked up all the ingredients and said she would make it for dinner tonight.

As promised, when I came out of her extra bedroom from washing up I could smell the familiar scent of chicken and veggies spiced just enough to make your nose run and eyes water without sending steam pouring from your ears.

"It smells delicious in here," I complimented while taking a seat on a stool in the kitchen. I watched while she stirred the soufflé.

"Thank you." She looked at me questioningly.

My brow furrowed as I asked, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No," she said simply. "I just don't entirely believe your story. I trust you, but I think you're lying about your family." She didn't seem mad, but her accusations were putting me on edge, especially because she was right.

"But I can earthbend, isn't that fact enough?" I tried not to put too much pleading in my voice. I wanted her on my side. I had grown fond of her over the past two days, what with her being the only one that will willingly talk to me and all.

"I guess it should be, it just doesn't make any sense." She continued stirring then got out two plates and started dishing up our dinner. "Anyway, I guess everyone is entitled to their own secrets." She gave me a quick smile.

I reached out and grabbed her hand. She looked at me waiting. "Thank you, Suki. For everything. And as far as my family goes…" I looked away biting my lip, unsure of how much to say. "There's so much I wish I could tell you, but it doesn't even make sense to me yet. I'm sorry for having to keep secrets from you." I released her hand and gave her an apologetic half smile.

She smiled back and with that the conversation was over. We enjoyed the rest of the evening eating our dinner, which was as delicious as I remembered, then we re-evaluated the training we had done that day.

As I crawled into bed I was almost afraid of falling asleep, no matter how exhausted I was. I wasn't sure what I would find in my dreams tonight, and I wasn't sure if I would want to find anything. Nonetheless, sleep came, and with it came the dream visions.

…

_The purple haze welcomed me into its embrace once more. I began to look for the light, ready to see the next memory._

_"Looking for me?"_

_I spun around, and was faced by the boy from my dreams, the Avatar himself. Aang looked at me, seemingly evaluating me. After a moment of hesitation I found my voice. "Uummm... Hi. I'm Serena, soo, um yeah."_

_Not the most intelligent of responses but hey, I was being talked to by the Avatar!_

_A cold fear trickled down my spine, freezing my ordinarily heated core. I had spoken to two of the past Avatars, and had seen memories from one of them._

_I couldn't possibly... No... Unless the lion turtle made me this... But I'm not..._

_A smile spread onto Aang's face. "No you're not the Avatar," he said calmly, "You see, I'm still alive." A childish smile spread across his face. "Let's play a game," he said mischievously, "It'll be like hide and explode, world version!" He frowned and added, "Without the exploding, of course."_

_His form began to fade as well, giving way to the familiar light, that grew and swallowed me up once more._

_This time I was placed on a rooftop, watching as Aang and an older monk walked onto a balcony. The older monk was carrying what appeared to be a dessert of some kind. He put it down, next to some others I somehow hadn't seen sitting on the edge. He and Aang sat down._

_I saw the five monks from before pass below the balcony. My eyes widened in shock as I saw the older monk, the most serious of them all, airbend a cake over the edge sending it flying at the elders. Aang burst out laughing, sending some delicious missiles himself. The older monk proved to be quite the shot, launching endless treats at the elders' faces. When they no longer had any ammo they simply jumped up and ran, using airbending to boost themselves away._

_The sky seemed to blink, and as I looked up, a flash dazed me, leaving me to blink the spots out of my eyes._

_Aang and the older monk sat down playing Pai Sho. I saw the older monk make a swirling motion with his hand behind his back. This sent a swirl of air that swept the back of Aang's shirt over his head._

_Quick as lightning, the older monk swapped two pieces over, going back to his normal position just as Aang pulled his shirt back in place._

_"Hey!" Aang shouted, noticing the switch. He put the pieces back in place, smiling up at his mentor. They looked at each other and laughed._

_"Gyatso!" One of the elders said, poking his head into the room, "I wish to speak with you." Gyatso sighed and followed the elder out into the hallway._

_"What are you doing? Playing games?" The elder seemed outraged by such an occurrence. "The Avatar needs more training, and-"_

_"No." Gyatso cut him off, eyes set in determination. "I am his guardian, and I decide when he trains, and when he gets his butt kicked at Pai Sho." A ghost of a smile graced his features._

_But the elder wasn't finished. "This is what we mean! You're becoming a bad influence on the Avatar! This is why the Council has decided that you and the boy will be separated."_

_Gyatso's face showed both shock and horror at the thought. From what I had seen, I felt it was obvious that Gyatso loved Aang as a son, and that Aang loved him back. Separating them would be horrible for both of them._

_The elder continued. "He will be going to the Eastern Air Temple, to continue his training."_

_I felt a strange urge to look behind Gyatso. There I saw Aang, eyes wide, going into shock at the news he had just eavesdropped on._

_Another flash of light blinded me. I saw Aang, a bag slung across his back, place a scroll onto a perfectly made bed. I looked around—the wardrobe hung empty, the packed up sky bison I could see outside._

_Aang was leaving._

_I followed him outside, watched as he jumped onto the sky bison. It was early. Very early in fact. I watched as the bison grew smaller and smaller on the horizon._

_I heard a rumble of thunder, a flash of lightning, and I was thrown into the middle of a maelstrom. I wasn't able to be harmed by the storm, but I was worried about Aang. I spotted him and the bison flying low, close to the roiling sea. The bison smashed through a wave, got caught by another, then fell into the waves. I gave a shout of panic. They were sitting turtleducks in the water! Sure enough, the next wave plunged the bison under, submerging them completely. I jumped into the deep, entertaining some thoughts of saving him, but I remembered that I was an observer, no more._

_I watched helplessly as Aang sank deeper beneath the waves. Suddenly, he began to glow. I saw a sphere of air surround him. Ice began to creep around the edges, edging further and further until I was looking at a spherical, glowing iceberg. It glowed brighter and brighter, seeming to grow larger._

_I realized it was pulling me in, and a sheen of white overtook my vision. Then something happened. A crack appeared, and it spread, across my vision, covering everything I could see until..._

_A shattering sound reached my ears, deafening me. My vision wavered, then pitched sideways, and got suddenly closer to the ground. My last view was of a beam of light, stabbing straight upwards into the sky. Then everything faded to black._

…

My eyes shot open as I felt Aang's name leave my lips. My hand went to my forehead to wipe the hair away from my face that was plastered on with sweat. I sat up and looked around a moment, trying to come to terms with what I had just seen.

A storm, an iceberg, a floating bison. And the Avatar. Enveloped in an orb of air. Under water? Yes, under water. And now he was stuck there. That's why no one had seen him in 100 years.

The 100 year war. Sozin's Comet. The Air Nomads.

My mind jumped in a million different places at once. I curled in a ball on the bed as I tried to calm myself. My hands tightened into fists as I shut my eyes as tightly as I could. Nothing was making sense.

I needed to get out of the room. I wouldn't be able to sleep, and I needed fresh air. I slipped on my shoes and grabbed a robe then as silently as I could slipped out of the house.

I walked a ways from the town so no one would hear the crashing and booming as I practised my earthbending. It took my mind off the visions for the time being, which was what I needed.

I was getting better at feeling the vibrations of the earth beneath me and using it to my advantage to control the earth. I could now lift large rocks out of the ground and fling them several feet out. The lighter they were the farther they would go. I practiced breaking rocks into several tiny pieces and shooting them at makeshift targets which I carved into a large boulder. As the hours passed it got easier and easier to control the element, until I was leaping into the air while twisting to scoop large rocks with my feet and throw them at the boulder.

As the sun started to rise I remembered that Suki would wonder where I had gone, so I headed back to her home. I had no trouble getting back in, she was still asleep when I returned. I slipped back into the room I was staying in and pretended to sleep until I heard her wake. As usual we got ready for the morning with a light breakfast then went outside for training.

…

For training today I was blindfolded. Suki said one of the biggest part of being a Kyoshi Warrior is being in sync with the world around you. It was difficult at first, but I soon caught on.

I stood as still as possible, listening and feeling for any change in the air. From my left ear I could a faint sound. I ducked and evaded the tiny rocks the girls had been throwing at me all morning.

"Woah, what's that?" one of the girls said, breaking my concentration. The other's made audible gasps and seemed to be rushing in a direction away from me. I pulled the blindfold up off of my eyes and turned.

My stomach dropped immediately. There it was, the beam of light from my vision that night. It glowed even in broad daylight, and seemed to shoot straight up and through the edges of the sky.

"Aang," I whispered, concerned.

I rushed forward to join the other girls who all stood in awe at the beam.

"What do you think it is?" Suki asked me. "It's beautiful!"

"I-I don't know." Words weren't an option at the moment. Part of me had hoped that the dreams were just that - dreams. This was proof of my suspicion of them being more than that.

Suddenly, without thinking, I blurted out three deadly words. "It's the Avatar."

I wasn't sure why I said it, but I did, and I regretted it immediately.

All the girls turned from admiring the light and stared silently at me.

"How do you know that?" one of the girls asked.

I looked at her with wide eyes, trying to stay as calm as possible. Suki was eyeing me with the same look she had given me the day we met—suspicion mixed with anger.

"I don't. Know. I mean, I don't know. For sure, that is." I was stumbling over words, and they weren't buying it. "What else could produce that kind of light?"

Some of the girls turned back to consider the idea, Suki included. When she turned back to me her face was emotionless.

"She could be right," she said. All the girls whipped their heads back to look at her.

I stood staring at the beam. I couldn't take my eyes off of it. It was exactly as I had seen in my vision.

A pain crawled into my stomach. This would mean leaving. I had to go after Aang if he was back. My ultimate goal was more important than continuing to train for who knows how long. I caught on fast. I felt like I knew enough now to understand the fundamentals of earthbending and fighting to be able to handle myself on my own while travelling. It still amazed me how much I had learned in so few days.

"Serena?" Suki's voice snapped me out of my daydream. I looked around to find all the girls gone but Suki and I. She was looking at me concerned.

"Sorry. I don't know what came over me." I folded my fans and placed them in my belt while Suki studied me.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" She was looking at the ground with a blank look in her eyes. I frowned at the spot she was looking at.

I didn't say a word, but instead embraced Suki in a hug. "Thank you so much," I said while she hugged me back. "You've taught me so much in, so little time." I pulled back to study her. She was half smiling.

"I don't know what you're up to, but whatever it is, just make sure to visit soon. And stay out of trouble." Her smile widened and I couldn't help but smile back.

…

Our goodbye was short and sweet. Suki would miss me, but I wasn't sure I could say the same for the other girls. That was alright though, the feeling was mutual.

I had packed my things and started heading to the southern part of Kyoshi Island. Suki gave me enough money for three days worth of food, which I thanked her for and promised to pay back. It seemed I kept adding debt after debt that I owed to people that I wasn't sure I'd be able to pay back.

On the way I came across a small tavern. It was getting late and I was pretty hungry so I decided to stop in. I found a table near the right side of the wall and sat, trying not to draw too much attention to myself. I had changed out of my warrior attire, which Suki let me keep, and wore the same clothes I came in. I did however have my fans hidden under the fold of my robe in my belt in case I would need them.

I didn't order anything fancy, just a dish of fish soup to finish quick and go back to walking. I wasn't sure what I would find at the southern end of the island, maybe some way to the mainland of the Earth Kingdom. And from there I might just be land hopping until I can find a boat to take me to the southernmost part of the world.

"So the Avatar is at the Southern Water Tribe, huh?"

My head shot up from my soup at the mention of the Avatar. It was a man's voice, husk and deep.

"Yeah, that's where we're headed next. We only stopped to refuel," said another man's voice.

"Huh. And here I thought they were being nice and letting us stop for some food." The men chuckled.

They were stopping to refuel, meaning they were on a ship. And they were headed in exactly the place I needed to go.

I needed to get on that ship.


	4. Ch 4: Southern Water Tribe

5

**Book 1: Years Passed**

**Ch 4: Southern Water Tribe**

The men left shortly after I had finished my soup. I followed them at a distance so as not to be caught.

We passed through the small village unnoticed by the residents, or maybe just ignored, and came all the way to a port where a medium sized ship was docked. It was a typical Fire Nation ship, with the glowing emblem on the side. It made my stomach turn to be reminded of the home I left behind.

I studied the vessel to find a way in without being seen, but decided I would have to chance running along the deck. The back was heavily guarded by the crewmen, while more of the crew were on the end of the port dock loading cargo into the ship, so the only way in was through the latched door in the front or through the door on the deck. Luckily, with my father being a general commander, I was well informed of the layout of most of these ships and would easily find a hiding spot once on board.

There were men loading supplies through the latch so I snuck to the side by way of an ally between two close buildings. There were boxes of supplies behind the buildings as well, allowing me to easily climb up to the roof of the building and peer over the side of the ship. I would have to jump, but it looked easy enough. The trick was going unseen. All the men were occupied on the ground leaving the deck clear. I checked once more over the side at the working crew then, getting a running start, leaped over the edge.

My heart started to race as I sprinted as quietly as my boots would allow across the way, which seemed much longer once I was actually on board. I finally reached the door when I remembered. I wasn't sure if there would be anyone on the other side.

I looked around frantically and decided I didn't have time. I would have to take the chance.

I opened the door and leapt through, ready to fight if I needed to. To my surprise and relief there was no one there. I headed to the left down a short hall where I knew there would be a hidden trap door. It was built in for storage, but no one ever used it. It would throw the weight of the ship off to load anything into it.

_Talk about poor planning, _I thought as I reached the door. I quickly opened it and jumped inside, shutting the door after me.

I couldn't see a thing. With a quick flick of my wrist a small flame came to life in the palm of my hand. I stared at it, realizing I hadn't firebended in quite some time.

I looked around the small space to find that I had been right, there was nothing but some rope, a few empty boxes, and cobwebs that looked like they should collapse under the weight of the amount of dust they held. I sat in the center of the room in the lotus position which Iroh had taught me, snuffed the flame in my hand, and focused on meditating while the ship took me to the Water Tribes of the south.

…

I quietly sat, trying to clear my mind of all my thoughts. As suddenly as I closed my eyes, images flooded my consciousness. Despite my attempts to hold them back, I was no longer in control of my body. My mind had taken over.

_I remembered walking down a hill, intricate patterns encrusted in the earth, with an older man leading me down. Somehow I recognized him as my father, but then__… __How could that be? My father was back at the Fire Nation, serving the Fire Lord._

_ And yet__… __As surely as I felt the air in my lungs, I felt that I knew this man as my father._

_I saw the city, perched on a hill sitting in the bay, the water almost a mote surrounding it. Then a gigantic head rose from the water, similar to the head of a lion-seal. It occurred to me that the hill wasn't a hill at all. It was a__ body._

_I saw the lion turtle reach over, placing it__'__s two enormous claws on my father's head and chest. Light came from those points, blinding me. I watched as the lion turtle did the same to me as well. A sudden rush of cool energy swept through me under the lion turtles touch._

_I watched in awe as Father moved the water with his new abilities. He showed me what to do, gracefully swirling and moving the water with fine movements, almost like a dance. I mimicked him, laughing as the water flowed around me almost snake-like._

_ He taught me for months, perfecting my waterbending until I was nearly as good as him. I enjoyed this time with him, cherished it. I looked up to my father as a leader and the type of person I would want to grow up to be._

_ One day, like usual, we went to the edge of the waters to practice our skills. He had bet me that I couldn__'__t beat him in a little friendly duel. I accepted the challenge wholeheartedly believing he would be no match for me._

_Then it happened._

_Men burst from the bushes, seizing Father's arms. I tried to fight them off, there were just so many. I used the water to trap one man__'__s hands together in a block of ice, but as my hands came around to bend more water for an attack, three other men came at me from both sides. I swept my foot underneath myself, covering the ground in a slick layer of ice. Two of the men fell, but one held onto me for support. I easily shook him off, but by then the other two were up, and two more men came. I couldn__'__t tell where all of them were coming from. I knew I was outnumbered, but I couldn__'__t give up. I swiveled around, surrounding myself with tentacles of water, a move I had only just mastered. I was about to strike when I saw my father, a knife to his throat. I couldn__'__t let my father die, so I dropped the water letting it recede back into the ocean__.__ The men took this opportunity to grab me and shove me to the ground._

_ They questioned my father. He wouldn__'__t have given in to them, but they threatened my life. Even though he told them what they wanted to know, they killed him anyway. I sat there helplessly, could only watch as his blood spilled onto the sand, staining it crimson. I didn__'__t think life could get any worse until later that night._

_The men took me to their lair. They stripped me naked and chained me up like I was an animal, not a human being. I cried, cried for my father, my mother, my home. I cried for the spirits to save me. No one replied._

_That night, I learned that some of these monsters had a taste for young boys. They couldn__'__t keep there hands to themselves. They did things to me I never could have imagined in my wildest, sickest nightmares. Things that couldn__'__t be__ scrub__bed from my mind or body._

…

I snapped my eyes open, gasping at the memories. Streams of tears were coming from my eyes and I suddenly felt very sick. So sick that when I could no longer hold it in, I crawled over to one of the empty boxes to throw up. The images were permanently sealed on my brain. I wished I could erase them, but I knew that no matter how hard I tried, I would never be able to unsee the things I'd just seen. The most startling fact was that I knew they were memories. I knew that as surely as I'd known that the visions of Aang had not been mere dreams.

_What monsters would do such things?_ I shuddered, forcing myself to mentally seal off that particular memory.

But that wasn't what had troubled me the most. What troubled me the most was the fact that it hadn't been me in the memory. It had felt like me, but it was really…

I paused, lost in thought. What had been my name?

_Keirou_, seemed to whisper the deepest part of my being.

These were Keirou's memories, not mine. How did I get them? I shuddered once more at how real the visions had felt.

_How did I get the visions of Aang?_ I asked myself. Spirits, was my only answer, but I wasn't so sure.

I wiped the sweat off my face, sat myself back down, and speculated meditating once more. I wasn't sure if I could handle seeing such vile things again. Feeling such vile things again…

Some part of me felt reassured that this time would be easier, and that nothing was going to happen to me. Sighing and relaxing my body I let myself slip into a quiet meditation.

…

_I stood there, in front of my enemy, and stared him in the eyes. Chin was a tyrannical dictator, prepared to destroy my home if we didn't cooperate._

_I wasn't going to have that._

_Chin had already conquered most of the Earth Kingdom, but he lacked one important thing, something I intended to put to full use: his lack of sea power._

_I looked down at my fans, their familiar shapes fit into my hands perfectly. I thrust one out, airbending Chin's clothes from his body, leaving him is his undergarments._

_Despite the humiliation, he didn't falter at all. I closed my eyes, searching within myself for the energy. I'd trained myself to pull from the right place, so as not to tap into the wrong energy force. I found the power and instantly felt it surge through my body, almost radiating from my skin._

_Resisting the urge to simply burn Chin, I drew both fans. I swirled them around myself, slicing one to the side. I sliced the ground, raising a dust cloud. I repeated with the other side, completely slicing the land I stood on from the land Chin and his army were on. I closed my fans, jumped, and thrust them into the ground. The crack I had made before grew into a yawning crevasse, with lava boiling at the bottom. I swirled, raised my fans, and the lava roiled and lifted, forming a wall between me and Chin._

_I let the lava fall back, twisted, and with one final thrust, I blew Chin's entire army away. Those that weren't knocked out ran, abandoning the stubborn leader. I kept the wind going, and the crevasse widened still further. The land moved away from the mainland, becoming an island._

_I saw Chin shout in anger, still standing on the edge of the cliff. The edge beta to crumble but he was too stubborn to move. I watched with little pity as he fell to his death._

_I turned to looked at my home. My home, which was now an island._

_Kyoshi Island._

…

I woke up once more, gasping again.

Now I'm seeing Kyoshi's memories? This was becoming too strange for me to completely understand anymore.

Footsteps rang out in the hall, and I tensed, reaching for my fans. They passed me by, and I let out a sigh of relief. I looked down at my fans. I hadn't realized, but they seemed quite familiar to me, as if I had used them before, mastered them.

I dismissed this as ridiculous. I had barely had a week to train with them, how could I call myself a master?

Oh well. Back to meditation, I thought to myself as I silently prayed that the visions were over.

…

I was jolted out of meditation by a sudden stop and what sounded like a loud cracking. A slight trembling ran through the ship, and I assumed we were breaking through the ice. Anticipation spiked through my body at the sensation. The Southern Water Tribe must be close by, and the Avatar would be there.

I placed my ear to the roof of my hiding spot to listen for any movement, but all I could hear was the moaning of the ship. I grabbed one of the ropes, thinking I cold use it as part of my escape. Excitedly, I lifted the hatch and snuck around the corner of the hall. Before darting out I peaked down the longer hall for any of the crewmen. It was empty. With anticipation tingling my fingers, I opened the exit door quietly and found myself on the deck, staring at the backs of the soldiers as they stood in front of the boarding ramp. Ignoring them, I tiptoed to the side of the ship, where I tied the rope to the railing, dangling it down onto the ice. I slipped down the rope silently, though I sincerely doubted that the crew would react if a saber-tooth moose lion roared at them.

I took my first steps onto the ice. Instantly I went to look for earth, but I found none. All I could see and feel was ice and snow. I thought about waterbending.

Could waterbenders also control ice? I dismissed that as a stupid question. Of course they could! Why else would they build their homes in a barren ice field, for Agni's sake?

I shook myself, interrupting my own musings. As I looked around the ship appeared to have gone straight through some kind of wall. The wall was still standing, meaning that to get to the front, I would need to go around. I followed the wall, coming to a gate on the south side of the village.

Of course, I thought to myself. Most of their enemies would have come from the north, so it makes sense to have the easiest way in furthest away.

I walked through the gates tentatively, passing some small igloos and some tents made of animal fur. The homes seemed to be empty. I wondered if it had anything to do with the probably-unwelcome visitors just appearing.

I had always thought the Water Tribes would have some kind of frozen, beautiful city, but this was just disappointing. I guess a hundred years of war and oppression by the Fire Nation would do that to you.

I reached what appeared to be the center of the village and my heart froze. There, walking tied up, up the boarding ramp of the ship, was Aang. He looked exactly as he had the day he left the temple. Several soldiers followed behind him. He looked back at the villagers who stood helplessly as Aang was taken away. His features were still that of a young boy, even after all these years. A few steps ahead of him was a figure in armor who I thought to be the captain.

_Agni, how can this get worse?_ I thought in disbelief.

As if the spirits were laughing at me, the figure turned, a familiar face marred by an unfamiliar scar turning my guts to ice, matching my heart.

It was Zuko.


	5. Ch 5: Scars Deepened

Disclaimer: Not all of this is my original work. I've taken directly from ATLA for some of the sequences!

**Book 1: Years Passed**

**Ch 5: Scars Deepened**

My breath caught and I collapsed to my knees. My insides felt like ice and fire all at once. There was a sinking warm feeling in my stomach. Not comforting, but grueling. Like I could be sick at any moment. I _wanted_ to be sick to rid myself of this feeling. My fingers were starting to shake, but not from the cold.

He was different than I remembered, older obviously, but there was something about him that had changed. Even from a distance his seemingly permanent glare made my heart ache. The innocent little boy I had once known and loved turned cold and corrupted.

And his scar. I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

He's so beautiful, I thought as tears swelled in my eyes. Even with the unfamiliar blemish he still left my knees feeling like jelly when I saw him.

I couldn't move a muscle until finally he was gone. The ship was loaded, with the Avatar inside, and was heading away from the Southern Water Tribe. Zuko, once again, was leaving me feeling trapped. I was stranded inside myself and tormented by my thoughts of him.

A thought suddenly occurred to me. I had just spent the last day on the same ship with him and didn't even notice! My blood started to boil. I wanted to scream, I wanted to run or… hurt. Something. Anything. Something that would break, give me a release.

I dropped my head to the snow, my eyes and fists clamped shut as tightly as I could without making my palms bleed. There was no way for me to stop the tears that kept me sobbing on the ground helplessly for what felt like forever.

His face loomed there in the front of my mind. I hadn't seen him in three years, and the one chance I got, the closest I had been to being reunited with him again, he slipped through my fingers.

I started to wonder if all this was worth it. Why go on like this? Sure, I might find him and be with him again, but as he grows older this pain of losing him will become permanent, and there won't be any way to find him.

_Why did I listen to that stupid lion turtle?!_ I screamed in my head.

Another wave of hot tears escaped my eyes as I thought of never seeing him again.

Even if it was for a split second, even if only from a distance, was seeing him again worth it?

"Yes," I whispered out loud.

There was no doubt then in my mind that no matter what the cost, no matter how long I had to search and search for him, I would die before I never saw him again.

I finally stood from where I'd been kneeling on the ground, wiping my face of tears.

"Agh! Fire Nation spy!" a voice yelled from behind me.

There was a sharp whizzing sound as I turned, making me drop instinctively to dodge whatever was flying at me. The object shot by my head in a blur. I glared at the thrower, a boy about my age in Water Tribe blue clothing with his face painted like a warrior, though it was smudged. Probably from falling during the fight when Zuko—

I stopped my thoughts short and focused my attention on the boy.

"What do you want?"

"Sokka!" A girls voice, reprimanding.

"You're not from our village! I've never seen you before the ship came, and now you're here!" He glared at me like I was a tamable monster.

_I'm neither a monster nor tamable_, I smirked at my own thoughts.

I was about to protest when the same whizzing was suddenly right by my ear, followed by a loud thud. I fell to the ground, landing in a fresh pile of white snow but only remembering a black fog.

…

As I woke up I realized I was in one of the igloos, a blanket covering my body and several pillows supporting my head. I sat up, groaning as I rubbed the sore spot on the back of my head. I made a mental note to watch my back at all times. I didn't want to get thwacked in the head again.

The teen girl stuck her head in the door.

"Hey, you're awake! How are you feeling?"

"Sore." I answered.

She nodded and said, "Sorry about my brother earlier. He's a bit paranoid about the Fire Nation." Her eyes turned sad. "Ever since we lost our mother..."

To this I nodded understandingly. "I know how he feels." I said quietly.

She smiled and nodded, but then her countenance turned hard. "So," she began, "you're not from the tribe, are you?"

I shook my head, wincing as it made my bruise throb. "I'm from the Earth Kingdom. I've been traveling for a while, and I stowed away on the ship. When we stopped, I came out to explore a bit, but then the ship left, so I'm stuck here," I lied, doing my best to squash my 'tells'.

"Here, let me help you." She came inside and knelt by the bed. There was a pot of boiling water that she dipped a cloth into and rung out before lightly dabbing at the back of my head.

"Thanks," I said, wincing through a smile.

"What's your name?" the girl asked.

"Meng, what about you?" I sat up to retie my robes, which had loosened while I slept.

"I'm Katara." She placed the cloth back in the pot and sat back while we spoke.

"And your brother is Sokka, I gathered?" As I tied my robes I felt something missing. I looked at her in confusion. "My fans?"

"We still have them, we just wanted to make sure you weren't dangerous." Her face looked a little concerned as she said this. Then she said, "Do you have anywhere to go? Where were you headed on your travels?"

I couldn't tell her the truth. "I really don't have a destination."

Just then Sokka poked his head into the igloo. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow then turned to his sister. "Are we gonna go, or not?"

They were leaving?

Just then I remembered Aang.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

Katara answered with, "That ship is holding the Avatar hostage. We need to go help him." Her eyes had a certain fire behind them.

"Can I come with you? If not to help then just to get out of the south and back to the Earth Kingdom. I'm better equipped there." I gave a weak smile.

Katara thought a moment then nodded.

"What?!" Sokka chimed in. "She could still be the enemy!"

"Sokka!" Katara scolded. "She's not! She's not even Fire Nation, she's from the Earth Kingdom."

I started getting up, pulling the blankets off of me and shivering instantly. I thought about my fire breath to warm me up, but remembered that to them I was just an Earth Kingdom citizen.

"If you're really worried about it you can keep my fans while we travel," I offered. I would feel better if I had them, but if they would let me travel with them only by giving up my fans, so be it.

Sokka and Katara exchanged a look then nodded at me.

"Let's go then, we're losing time. They're getting farther and farther away by the minute." Sokka left the igloo.

I followed Katara outside and she led me to a clearing of snow.

"Aang is the Avatar's name. You might have seen him." Katara made small talk while we walked.

"I think I did see him, briefly. He's only a boy, right?" I tried playing dumb while getting as much information out of her as possible.

"Yeah, it's amazing. He was trapped in the ice for over 100 years. Sokka and I found him."

We finally came to a large creature. It was as large as a house with thick white fur, horns, and a dark arrow on top of it's head. I recognized it from my visions of Aang. It was a Sky Bison, thought to be extinct, but the Avatar wasn't the only one trapped in the ice for so long.

The creature made a low rumbling sound as Katara pet its nose.

"This is Appa," she said. "We'll be taking him to go find Aang." She smiled at Appa.

"Apparently he flies," Sokka said skeptically.

I'd never seen it, but I knew they did.

Sokka and Katara packed their things onto the saddle on Appa's back and climbed up. As I tried getting into the saddle I slipped on a piece of ice. Sokka grabbed my hand just in time to catch my fall and pulled me up.

"Thanks," I said to him.

He looked away and folded his hands, sticking his lip out like a little kid. "Yeah, well… You're welcome."

With all their things packed away and everyone settled in, we started our journey to find Aang.

…

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Sokka was hanging over the edge of Appa's saddle, dangerously close to falling in the water. The bison seemed too tired still to be flying. I wouldn't blame him, after 100 years stuck in ice, I wouldn't really want to move either.

My body violently shivered against my will.

"How do you stand this cold?" I asked them.

Sokka pulled on his fur coat. "It's all about the clothing. These keep us pretty warm." He wore a childish grin.

I pulled my robes tighter around myself and pulled the hood over my head to keep my ears warm. It didn't help much, but it was something.

"So, how do we make this thing 'fly'?" Sokka gestured to Appa, a sarcastic tone to his voice.

I leaned over the saddle to look at the side of the creatures face. He grunted, seeming content just to be swimming along. Katara crawled over top his head and pet his nose.

"Sokka doesn't believe you can fly, but I do Appa. Come on, don't you want to save Aang?"

"What was it that kid said? Yee-haw? Hup-hup? Wah-hoo? Uh… yip-yip?"

As Sokka said this I watched Appa's eyes light up. There was a loud grumble then his body started to shake. I sat back up in the saddle so I didn't fall out. Appa's tail lifted out of the water and in one swift pound of his tail, the creature had taken off into the sky, creating a huge gush of wind in our faces. I felt even closer to the element as we soared, and suddenly my anxiety for meeting the Avatar grew.

"He's flying! He's flying! Katara, he's-" Sokka's excitement quickly died down at his sister's smirk. He crossed his arms and said, "I mean, big deal. He's flying," though he soon returned to leaning over the saddle and watching the sea and ice now far below us. I giggled at his excitement.

...

"Over there!" Katara yelled. I looked around as she directed Appa with the reins toward the ship in the distance.

My heart suddenly started to pound harder than ever before. I swore it would pop right out of my chest if I didn't calm myself down.

As we neared we could see the boy on the deck of the ship, and next to him was Zuko, both of them looking up at the Flying Bison.

_Hold it together_, I told myself as I hunkered down in the saddle so I wasn't seen. I wrapped my arms around myself tightly trying to keep from breaking down at seeing him again.

_It's too soon!_

Katara shouting pulled me out of my trance. "Aang! No!" There was a piercing terror in her voice that tapped into the fighting part of me, sending my body into warrior mode.

I no longer felt helpless, but powerful. True, seeing Zuko was still horrible and almost unbearable, but the Avatar needed my help.

I searched through the bags Katara and Sokka had brought along to find my fans. Without them I felt helpless. Once I found them I stood in the saddle peering down at the ship, fans flourished.

As I looked, Aang suddenly burst out of the water in the center of a skinny whirlpool. It grew and grew as he propelled himself onto the deck of the ship once more.

_His eyes are glowing._

As were his arrow tattoos. He bended the water with an awesome power, whipping it in a circle around his body to knock most of the crew off the deck, including Zuko.

"Did you see what he just did?" Katara exclaimed in excitement.

"Now _that_ was some waterbending!" Sokka said.

_Zuko…_ I watched the place where he had fallen in the water until I could no longer see it. Aang had collapsed to the ground.

"Land Appa on the deck!" I ordered Katara. She nodded and whipped the reins to signal Appa to go down.

Some of the crew were heading out the door before we reached the ship. Instinctively, I jumped from Appa. Katara yelled my name but I ignored her, propelling myself toward the deck where the men were heading toward Aang. I landed on my feet then tucked into a forward roll to ease the impact, surprising the crewmen. They instantly started to firebend at me. I dodged the fire, moving left and right as they all attacked me. Two of them bended at me at once, one going for my feet and the other targeting my face. I jumped and twirled my body sideways between the two blows, lifting my foot and kicking one of the men in the chin. As I brought my hands up I scooped another one of the crewmen's legs from underneath himself. The third man glared at me angrily and prepared himself in a common fire bending stance. I flourished my fans at him glowering back. We circled each other until I saw an opening. His left side was exposed, making it weak. He would come at me from the right. I dropped down to the ground and spun my leg underneath him, making him fall. He rolled on his side reaching his hand to grab me but I knocked his arm to the side while swiping my fan across his left cheek, leaving a small bloody scratch across his face.

By this time Appa had landed on the ship and Katara had helped Aang get up. As I watched, more crewmen had advanced toward them. Katara, in an attempt to fight off the men, lifted her hands, taking with them water left behind from Aang, then thrust them back. I assumed her plan was to freeze the guards in place, but instead she only froze her brother's feet to the deck.

"Katara!" Sokka complained.

She tried the move once again, this time facing away from the firebenders. At the last second she managed to freeze them in place. I sighed in relief.

I rushed over to help Aang up onto Appa with Katara then remembered Sokka stuck to the deck.

As I neared him I pulled out my fans and used their edges to scrape at the ice.

"Lookout!" Sokka yelled pointing behind me. I turned just in time to see a man shooting a large burst of fire at us. I jumped in front of Sokka and guarded him from the fire. It hit me hard, jerking me into Sokka and sending a sharp pain from the middle of my back up my neck.

"Agh!" I cried out loud as the pain seared my back.

Sokka was free by this time. He scooped me up to carry me to Appa. I could feel his arms on my skin, so I knew my robes had been singed to almost nothing.

Katara helped pull us up then we were in the sky. Not shortly after we lifted off were fireballs being shot at us. Aang took care of them by sending huge waves of air into the center of the fireballs.

Sokka had set me down in the saddle on my side. Katara came to my side.

"This needs care, as soon as possible," Katara said examining my back.

"No, I'm fine." I tried sitting up but failed. When I moved my back felt as if the skin was tearing itself apart. I bit my lip muffling my groans of pain.

Katara looked at me in disbelief and concern. "I don't want to scare you, but this looks bad."

I managed a smile and a tiny laugh. "How many times have you encountered Fire Nation troops?" I'd been burned like this countless times in my life. Mostly from myself messing up a firebending technique, and other times from simulation Agni Kai's in school.

"Well, today makes twice," she spoke quietly.

"You're lucky. I've been burned worse than this before." I winced again then saw Sokka looking at me.

"Thank you," he said. "You jumped in front of the fire for me. I owe you." He seemed sad as he spoke, but appreciative.

"We can call ourselves even now. I took my fans from your bag." I smiled at him. He smiled back then looked away as his face turned a light shade of pink.

By this time I finally noticed Aang sitting across from us.

I stared at him, somehow knowing him but also knowing that I had never met him before in my life. My visions had been completely accurate, every detail was exact.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" he asked, studying me.

"No, I don't think so. How could you?" I was getting slightly worried that he would recognize me and blow my cover, but I wasn't sure if he would recognize me from the visions.

Had he had them too?

After another long moment he finally shrugged and grinned. "I'm Aang."

"Aang, how did you bend the water like that?" Katara asked, intrigued.

I sighed with relief, glad the conversation was no longer centered on me.

"I don't know, I just sort of… did it." His enthusiasm suddenly dropped.

"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?" she pried with more questions. I could tell Aang was getting uncomfortable, and somehow the subject sent a shiver of sadness through my chest as well.

"Because… I never wanted to be." He turned around to sit on Appa's head and hold the reins as we flew toward the sun away from the Southern Water Tribes.

Visions of the storm and monk Gyatso flashed before my eyes, as I'm sure they were for Aang.

"So, where are we headed?" I asked, trying to change the subject further.

"Well, according to legend, Aang needs to first master water, then earth, then fire, right?" Katara nearly bounced in her seat with excitement.

We all nodded in agreement as Aang said, "That's what the monks told me."

"Well," she continued, "if we go to the north pole, you can master waterbending!"

Aang's face lit up. "We can learn it together!"

"And Sokka, I'm sure you'll get to knock some firebender heads on the way." Katara gave her brother a smirky smile.

He sank in his seat smiling. "I'd like that. I'd _reeally_ like that."

Katara put her hand out and said, "Then we're in this together." Grinning, the two boys clapped their hands on top of hers. Katara then turned to look at me. "Well? Are you in?"

I started a little. I hadn't even thought that they would include me. Up until this point I had felt like an outsider to them. Then I remembered, the whole reason I left in the first place was to start my life anew. I would need to let go of my old firebender self to finally feel accepted here.

_I am Meng, the Earth Kingdom girl,_ I told myself.

I placed my hand on theirs, not easily and with a sharp pain shooting out my shoulder. They all smiled at me.

"So, the North Pole, huh? Great… More water and glaciers." As they laughed at my comment I looked up to the sky, silently thanking the spirits for my new friends and the beginning of my new life.


	6. Ch 6: A Burning Feeling

Disclaimer: I've taken from the original ATLA transcripts. I don't own those pieces!

**Book 1: Years Passed**

**Ch 6: A Burning Feeling**

Light slowly filtered through my eyelids, rousing me gently from the deep state of consciousness one would loosely describe as sleep. I sat up, habitually stretching, and instantly regretted it as the dried blood from my burns cracked open, leaking new blood into the already overused bandages. I winced at the pain, using it to focus, wake myself fully. Looking around I saw Sokka still in his sleeping bag, snoring with his mouth open like a spider-flytrap. Katara was packing up on Appa, and Aang was fiddling with the knots on Appa's horns. I scanned the area again, not remembering landing, or being put into a sleeping bag.

_I must have been unconscious,_ I thought to myself. I reached over grabbing my pack and a few necessary items, then went to find a stream or some running water.

…

After I finished cleaning myself off I headed back to the camp.

"Aaaaah!" A scream split the air. Thinking we'd been attacked I began to run, ignoring the protests from my back.

"Getitoff! Getitoff!" At this I slowed, confused. Giggles also sounded, furthering my confusion.

I entered the camp to find Sokka still in his sleeping bag, though he was awake now (and did he move?) with Aang standing over him, a smile on his face.

"Great, you're awake!" Aang said cheerfully. "Let's go!"

"What happened?" I questioned as Aang used his airbending to propel himself up onto Appa.

"Oh, nothing," the young airbender replied mischievously, earning a scowl from Sokka.

…

Once we were all packed and boarded on the Sky Bison, I watched contentedly as Sokka rummaged through the luggage for food.

"Hey! Who ate all of my blubbered seal jerky?!" He looked accusingly at me but I only shrugged and shook my head. He turned his attention to Aang and Katara.

"Oh. That was food? I used it to start the campfire last night." Aang's grin stretched from ear to ear as Sokka wilted to the floor of the large saddle.

"You what? Aww, no wonder the flames smelled so good."

I laughed to myself then peaked over the edge of the saddle, careful not to move too fast. My back was hurting worse than before, and I couldn't tell, but it felt like the skin was starting to peel away.

Below us was a vast range of purple mountains.

Aang bounced in his seat then scrambled over to the side to look with me.

"The Patola Mountain range!" He looked at me with a little kid smile. "We're almost there! I'm sure there's something at the temple that can help your back." His eyes were so bright. I knew what was waiting for him, but I couldn't tell him. Instead I just smiled and said, "Maybe."

"Aang, before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the airbenders," Katara started. I glanced at her and for a brief moment we made eye contact, silently arguing over her words to Aang.

"What about 'em?" he said.

I looked over at the young airbender, excitement filling his whole body. Katara followed my gaze and understood. This was something he would need to see for himself. All we could do was help him get through it once he knew.

She sighed and finally said under her breath, "Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see," then turned in her seat to look forward.

Moments passed when we came to a large area of cloud cover. Appa flew through it and when we finally came out, Aang jumped up and looked around at us all.

"There it is. The Southern Air Temple." There was a tremendous amount of pride and affection in his voice.

I looked out over the top of Appa's head and could finally see it. It took my breath away at how beautiful it was. It sat at the very top of one of the mountains, all the buildings constructed as if they were a part of the mountain itself. There were bridges and pathways leading to the very top where a large, ornate tower stood. Smaller replicas of the tower surrounded it, bringing the temple together in one picture. It was truly a work of art, and reflected the way of the Air Nomads with it's natural beauty.

"Aang, it's amazing!" Katara's voice had left behind all trace of seriousness.

I couldn't wait to be back on the ground. Though the saddle was comfortable, Appa's flying was a little bumpy and every now and then my back would scrape against the side of the saddle.

As Aang patted Appa's head he said, "We're home, buddy! We're home."

…

"So that's where my friends and I would play airball, and over there…" Aang was talking excitedly after our landing, filling Sokka and Katara in on his life before the iceberg. I drowned them out, lost in my own thoughts.

I looked up to the right, away from the airball courtyard, at the side of the mountains, covered with the buildings and walkways.

It saddened me, thinking that this great civilization was gone all because of the Fire Nation. I was taught to see it differently, to learn from the Air Nomads 'mistakes', but I wasn't sure if they made any. Meeting Aang, although he was only one airbender, had me believing that the airbenders were peaceful and kind, not the rule breaking kind the Fire Nation had all it's children learning. I felt ashamed to call myself part of the Fire Nation.

_ No, not anymore._

"So, uh, this air ball game. How do you play?"

I rejoined the conversation just in time to hear that Sokka would take on Aang at a game of airball. This I had to see.

I sat on the edge of the courtyard as the two boys got into place for the game. Once it started, Aang had a ball and was throwing it around the court using his airbending, trying (and succeeding) to get it passed Sokka who was using all of his concentration to stay balanced on the beams.

After only a few minutes of play, Aang sent the ball with extra force zipping toward Sokka. It hit him square in the chest, knocking him back some feet into a pile of dirt and snow.

Aang called out, "Aang, seven! Sokka, zero!" while performing a little dance move to further Sokka's disappointment.

Katara and Sokka exchanged conversation while I yelled out to Aang, "I don't know if he ever really stood a chance!"

The airbender giggled.

"Aang, there's something you need to see." I turned to see Katara who was motioning for Aang to come over. A large pit grew in my stomach. The sick feeling was coming back slowly.

Before the boy noticed, I spotted the helmet. A Fire Nation helmet laying in the snow in front of Katara.

"Okay!" he said, still smiling and hopping gracefully over on the beams of the courtyard.

I couldn't let her just tell him like this. He was enjoying himself, and I would see to it that he stayed this happy as long as possible on this trip. He deserved that before he found out the news of his people.

I placed my hand on the ground beside me and focused all my energy to my palm. With a little flick I turned my hand to the side. At the same time, the stone wall beside Sokka jolted out just enough to knock a big pile of snow onto both Sokka's head and the helmet. Katara looked at it in surprise then turned back as Aang popped next to them.

"What is it?" he asked.

Katara hesitated then said, "Uh… just a new waterbending move I learned." To cover up her lie she smiled a big, dorky smile.

I sat up from where I'd been sitting and walked over to my friends as Aang replied, "Nice one. But enough practicing, we have a whole temple to see!" He trotted off.

"You know, you can't protect him forever," Sokka said, brushing the snow off himself.

"He deserves as much of this time as possible being happy and thinking his people are somewhere waiting for him," I said quietly under my breath. I went to the snow and dug out the Fire Nation helmet, picking it up with both hands and examining it.

"I agree." Katara shuffled off after Aang.

Sokka sat in silence with me for some time before finally speaking.

"I don't know what they did to you, but I know how you feel. They killed our mother."

I looked up to see him staring at the ground. I placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly while saying, "I know. Katara told me. I'm so sorry."

Our eyes met, Sokka giving me a sad smile. He then grabbed the helmet from my hands and looked out over the side of the mountain.

"This doesn't belong here." With that, he chucked the helmet over the side of the mountain. We stood watching as it flew threw the air then fell to the ground, then we left to meet up with Katara and Aang.

"Who's that?" Sokka asked as we caught up to them.

We stood in front of a great statue. I instantly recognized the monk as Gyatso, Aang's airbending teacher. I remembered him from the visions I'd had of him and Aang when I'd learned Aang's story and met him for the first time. Well, sort of anyway.

His robes were draped down around him and he had the same bald head and arrows as Aang. His wrinkles indicated that he was of an older age, making him seem more the wiser. He also wore a necklace around his neck. It was round and bore the symbol of the airbenders.

"Monk Gyatso!" Aang chirped happily. "The greatest airbender in the world. He taught me everything I know." The young master bowed to the statue.

"You must miss him," Katara placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah," was his only response, then he began walking away.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

Aang replied, "The air temple sanctuary. There's someone I'm ready to meet."

…

We stopped before a large door. Encrusted into it was three of the Air Nomad symbols, all connected by air currents and surrounding what looked like the sun. The problem was it didn't seem to have any way of opening it.

"I don't suppose you have a key?" Sokka's voice was sarcastic.

"The key, Sokka, is airbending." After the short explanation, Aang proceeded to bend air into the three symbols, which turned to reveal airways. Each one rang out a distinct note, then once the three were all ringing, the door finally unhinged and opened.

A large puff of air blew in our faces, then settled to reveal the inside of the sanctuary.

Suddenly, my insides started to tingle, like the energy I had felt when meditating in front of the statue of Kyoshi. It flowed through me, like a driving current.

As we stepped inside we could see the room was filled with hundreds upon hundreds of statues.

"Statues? That's it? Where's the meat?" Sokka was clearly hungry. He seemed to be all the time.

"Who are all these people?" Katara wondered out loud.

"I'm not sure. But it feels like I know them somehow." Aang was wandering through the statues. "Look! That one's an airbender!" He ran excitedly to a man with arrow tattoos placed upon his head.

I walked through the statues, taking notice of each one with the same serious expression. I reached out to touch one of them. As soon as my skin made contact with the stone my hand felt a zap.

"Ow!" I muttered under my breath, retracting my hand and rubbing it in the other.

"This one's a waterbender! They're lined up in a pattern: air, water, earth and—"

"Fire," I finished for her. I looked around to the nearest firebender, an older man with long hair and a pointed beard. His eyes were small and seemed—honest.

I tried to imagine a time when the Fire Nation lived in peace with the other nations, but it was impossible.

"That's the Avatar cycle," Aang said, knowingly.

"Of course. They're Avatars. All these people are your past lives, Aang." Katara seemed to know a lot about the Avatar for someone who lived in the southern part of the world.

I noticed that the firebender I had looked at seemed to be at the end of the line.

"It stops here," I said, waving a hand for them to join me.

As Aang approached the statue he went into a sort of trance. He only snapped out of it when Katara shook him and called him back to reality.

"That's Avatar Roku. The Avatar before me."

I looked to the left of Roku to see a male earth bender wielding two swords in his hands.

Something wasn't right. I'd learned on Kyoshi Island that Kyoshi was in fact the most recent earthbending Avatar. So then why would this man be the statue before Roku?

The other three had continued their chatter until there was a rustling behind us from the door. We turned on the door, getting into fighting stances, though I wouldn't be of much use in this state.

Suddenly a small creature burst through the door. We all let out a sigh of relief.

Sokka and Aang broke out into an argument over the animals fate. It turned out to be a lemur which Aang wanted for a pet, and Sokka wanted for food. It seemed to be the only thing on his mind.

The animal scurried through the door with the boys chasing quickly after it.

Katara was starting to head for them when she turned to me. "Come on." She wore a big smile.

"That's alright, I think I'll look around more. I'll be back soon." I returned the smile, then she rushed off to catch up with the boys.

…

I decided that I would try to find the place in the temple where my visions of Aang had taken place. Maybe I would find more answers to my strange connection with him and Avatar Kyoshi.

I first circled the lower ring of the temple, thinking that my vision happened in such a big place it couldn't have been any higher up, but I didn't recognize any of it. Through one of the archways, which was ornately decorated with different sculptures and paintings, I found a spiral staircase leading into what looked like a long hallway lined with doors to living quarters. I walked down the hall but was stopped in my tracks.

There weren't any doors in the archways to the rooms, so I had assumed they didn't have doors to begin with. But at the end of the hall I came across a room with half a door. The other half had smoldered off, caught on fire and left to burn. I chanced a look into the room, but what I saw there was worse.

There was a small bed in the corner, only big enough for a toddler, barely standing on it's scorched legs. In the bed lay a tiny pile of bones with the same black stains from being caught on fire.

_ They were burnt alive._

I turned from the room and ran down the hallway and up the rest of the stairs into an opening. My lungs were burning from gasping and choking back my dry sobbing. I couldn't form tears, they'd all been spent. But the raw, aching emotion was still there, leaving me hunched over on the ground hugging my knees, tearing the wounds on my back open once more.

This was not what we had learned about in school. We heard of a revolt, of Air Nomads being careless with the peace in the world and recklessly disregarding the order of things. How the Fire Nation soldiers tried to reason with them but they wouldn't listen so we were forced to attack, to take over their land, and in the process the Air Nomads went extinct.

This was a genocide. It was clear to me now that the Fire Nation only had it's own intentions in mind, and was willing to extinguish an entire people to get what they wanted.

My body began to shake uncontrollably as I rose from the ground to stand, anger plain on my face. The blood in my body was boiling, my skin felt hot. I clenched my fists and eyes closed tightly before screaming up to the sky in frustration, the sound more of a growl. With it came a long shot of fire, burning more brightly than ever.

Immediately I stopped. I looked around and listened for any sign of Katara, Sokka, or Aang. A moment passed and I didn't hear anything, but I didn't want to chance it, so I took off to the other side of the clearing when a sudden shot of pain up my spine sent me doubling over to the ground. As I fell I could feel the ground skidding across my wound, tearing away any flesh that had stayed on my back and increasing my pain. It was such a sudden shock that I couldn't speak for some time, and when my voice did return, I could only groan and scream from the pain.

…

"Meng!" I recognized the voice as Sokka's. He rushed to my side and looked at me with worry. "What happened?"

I shook my head. "It hurts!" was all I could manage.

Sokka understood and lifted me into his arms, careful not to scrape my back at all. He rushed through the halls and down the stairs as fast as his legs would carry him without tripping.

"I'm glad I found you as soon as I did. Something happened to Aang, his eyes started glowing and then there was a bunch of wind, and I don't know. But we need to get the heck out of here."

I clung onto every word he said trying to keep conscious. My eyes threatened to close but I wouldn't let them, afraid that if I did I wouldn't wake up again.

Finally we came to the last set of stairs and burst through the clearing. I could see Appa. Katara was helping an exhausted Aang up onto the bison.

"Katara, we need to go! Now!" Sokka called to her. She looked our way and understood. When we reached Appa they both helped in hoisting me up into the saddle. My head was starting to spin from the pain.

"Is she alright?" Katara's voice was filled with worry.

"I don't think so. She needs help for her back, I think it's worse," Sokka said sounding slightly panicked.

We started off right away, the bumpiness of Appa's flying worse this time.

…

I didn't know where we were headed, and I wasn't so sure they knew either. Over the course of the hour I had gone from groaning through the pain to silently clenching my jaw so I wouldn't scream. For the majority of the ride everyone stayed silent.

I'd been clenching onto my bag the entire time, needing something to clamp down on to partially take my mind off my back. I heard some rustling and opened my eyes to see Sokka sitting at my side.

His face was flushed pink again as he said, "You can squeeze my hand if that will help you."

My eyes struggled to stay open. I wanted to speak, but I couldn't move.

"Don't worry, you can squeeze as hard as you need. I don't mind." Sokka had taken his gloves off and was now offering his hand to me. I took it, struggling to move, and squeezed his hand, both from the pain and appreciation. He stayed with me for the remainder of the ride until we landed, though I wasn't sure where we were.

…

We landed on a shore somewhere. The three others had gotten out, Sokka and Aang to set up camp, and Katara to go into the woods in search of a healing plant. I stayed in the saddle. Moving would make the pain worse. A short while later Katara had come back, but seemed to have no luck finding any plants.

I suddenly heard rustling and Katara yelping. It sounded as if they were being attacked. I wanted to get up to help but my body wouldn't let me move. I could only sit in silence as my friends struggled.

Would they take them away? Would they be okay? What if I never saw them again?

It made sense to me that I would make friends only to have them taken from me. After all, I was lying to practically everyone I knew right now.

The rustling stopped.

"You three have some explaining to do." There was a female voice, not Katara's.

"And if you don't answer all our questions, we're throwing you back in the water with Unagi." This was a voice I distinctly recognized. I couldn't forget it, even if it had been years.

"Show yourselves!" I heard Sokka yell. Then a moment later, "Who are you? Where are the men who ambushed us?"

At this I managed a small smile. I was trying to gather the strength to speak, but words wouldn't form.

"There were no men. We ambushed you. Now tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?"

I suddenly remembered my fans. All Kyoshi Warriors had them. My arms were still free to move as they pleased without hurting my back too much. I reached inside my robes, pulled out one of my fans, and flung it over the side of the saddle in plain sight of the Kyoshi Warriors.

The talking died down and everyone went silent. I watched the sky and prayed they would find me before anything happened to the others.

Suddenly I saw a figure burst from the side of Appa and jump into the saddle, with the help of the other warriors I assumed. Suki had her fans flourished and ready to attack.

When she realized it was me her expression turned to joy, then worry as she saw me hunched over and covered in blood.

"Girls, it's Meng! Help me lift her out of the saddle!" She rushed to my side.

"Are you alright?" She studied my face, cupping my cheeks in her hands then wiping my forehead of the dirt and hair stuck to it with sweat.

I could only communicate with my eyes which were hardly staying open.

More girls climbed over the saddle and scooped their arms underneath me to help me off of Appa. Once I was down they set me on the ground in front of my three bewildered friends and held me up so I would stay sitting. I stared at them and Suki followed my gaze understanding.

"Let them go! We need to get her some medicine and help." Suki ordered the other girls. Once Katara, Aang and Sokka were let go they came to my side.

Suki grabbed my hand and looked at me with worry and care.

"Don't worry, you'll be okay. I won't let anything happen to you."


End file.
